Decisions

Family room carpet; down to two choices.

Tile for the kitchen, ditto.

Both choices are fine by me. (Brought them home, I'm sitting here looking at them now. )

We spent almost two hours there - it gave me a big headache but the owner of the store really was helpful.

Now if only I knew what I wanted for dinner.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Gray

I'm in a funk today.

Yesterday I went out to lunch with the entire group of people I most often eat lunch with. It's about 10 people and we usually have 6 or so on any given day. It was kind of a last hurrah; on Monday morning there will be layoffs and we just KNOW that at least a few if not several of our group won't be around on Fridays anymore to go to our Italian restaurant and eat pizza and joke about the waitress with the eyeshadow or the one who is so damn slow.

It's hard to know whether it's worse -- to have to go out and look for a new job, or stay behind in the old job and watch your friends leave one by one, knowing things will never be the same anymore, because we won't be hanging out all the time together, and oh by the way, you get to do a good chunk of extra work from now on, so get busy. "Stay positive and focused on your work as much as possible. " OK.

Today is the 30th Freihoffer run; I am HERE, TYPING, and not THERE, getting ready to run. I am disappointed in myself, and discouraged, but that's not really fair. I've been insanely busy, the PTA stuff was really a nightmare this year, and with everything going on it was completely unrealistic to think that I could train, and do this race. I have had minor physical issues too, nothing worth writing about but just enough to make me go "Yeah... not running." It's a cloudy day and that kills me more, because it's not horrible and hot and muggy like it was last year; this is actually the kind of weather I liked to run in - back when I used to actually be able to get myself out to run. I think if I had trained, I might have been able to actually RUN most of the race, with weather like this. To pull myself out of this horrible space I'm going to try to go and buy a decent new pair of shoes next week, at a place over on the main shopping drag where they claim to spend time helping you get a good fit. I'm going to try to work toward the Komen run (it's in the fall). Look forward. I hate the word "try" though, because it's all about maybes and probably nots.

The construction is progressing, a bit slowly still because of weather, but next week should take off quickly. My mother's only comment to my sister about it all is that she plans to give me "my" dollhouse, now that I'll have so much space. She made it for me while I was young, and it's been at her house for a long time now. It's beautiful. She handmade furniture for it. And still. I don't want it. It's GIANT. Seriously, three feet tall and three feet wide and so NOT why I am expanding my family room, and it's HER hobby, her creation, not mine.

This project, the family room expansion specifically, is not about finding a place for my dollhouse. It's about having kids who are not kids, they're working into the teenage phase, and I want them to be able to sit comfortably and have friends over, and have space for my art stuff and their music stands so that they will practice more. I want abundant noise in MY house, not the rigid silence that was required in a tiny house where the sole breadwinner worked from 11PM to 7 AM.

She has never respected my scrapbooking. She thinks it's a waste of money. I like to have the photos of my kids, and the things we do, that I didn't do or don't have photos of from MY childhood. I like to preserve them, and I find the hobby itself to be relaxing and fun, with all of the pretty papers and stickers and tools like punches and eyelets.

So. I expect an argument down the line, on that one. Followed by sullen silence and "she knows I'm mad" to people who shouldn't have to be in the middle of it.

I'll be going to pick out carpeting today; another semi overwhelming decision that I will cross my fingers and move forward with. Wish me luck.

Nine is fine

I have partial forms. Pouring will be later today, or tomorrow.

I also have another mouse. Maybe he was down south for Christmas, when I killed the others. Don't know. I saw his black little furry self run into the garage. His days are numbered.

Woot!

My new boyfriend (not the old one) finally pitched the barmaid. OK, it's just an excuse to post this picture and a link to the other one.

Day 8

Incessant chatter and speculation about the coming layoffs. Hmm. Maybe I'll have time to clean my house from top to bottom myself.

Hmmm.

Anyway.

Porch done, with more stepping on the coreopsis bush. I am seriously going to kick some construction worker ass pretty soon if they don't cut it out. We all continue to trip over the threshold.

Footings are drying. Maybe walls will be poured tomorrow or Friday. So next week we might see some real action. Something more than a hole in the ground.

For some reason I continue to buy way too many groceries, because I am in denial that I will have to empty some of the cabinets within the next couple of weeks (or ok, maybe a month from now, but I need to stop buying certain stuff and use up what we have. )

Day 7

Well, we now have footings, and the rain held off (enabling a baseball game waaaay longer than necessary). Maybe friday will bring the rest of the foundation.

My new front porch is done, but they kind of crushed my coreopsis.

Maybe it will recover. I can't tell.
Carly(via Blackberry)

At least I'm doing something right

Yesterday we went to a family gathering and at some point in the afternoon a bunch of us put the babies in strollers and walked them around the neighborhood to enjoy the sunshine and soothe the toddlers down into their naps.

You know that commercial, about the girl's rare happy smile appearing on the expensive vacation? That.

I was strolling along and my teenager came up and put her arm around my waist. She's almost as tall as me now, and when I went to put my arm around her shoulders... I couldn't. She's too tall. We laughed and continued on, with HER arm on my shoulders and my arm around her waist.

I have not felt so happy in, I don't know, I couldn't say when.

Dusting off Irving Berlin

Today I sang God Bless America at communion time, with the woman who is the cantor all summer long. I was really happy with how it went; some days I feel like I sing like crap, but this was definitely NOT one of those days. The song is one of my favorite songs to sing there too.

Sunday art

("Whose muffin is this?" "Mine, don't touch it." A tiny voice: "I'm touching it.")

Since any pondering of TRUE art is not currently possible, I am going with something bogus today.

I googled Concrete Art and wouldn't you know, you can google ANYTHING on the internets and get a hit.

I love this one. Not that I will be doing this, of course. I didn't ACTUALLY hit the lottery. Grr.

Builders

...working on my footings. On a Sunday! And here I thought I'd have no update today.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Apples not far from trees

My daughter just tripped coming into the house.

Awesome.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day Four

The sun was shining today. I took dirty pictures. No, wait, that was pictures of the piles of dirt.

The gravel is now (somewhat) in the hole in the ground. Hopefully Tuesday will see some concrete results. Badump bump.

The front porch was together a certain way and the guy took parts of it apart and redid them. Don't ask me why. (Still the new height; I really tripped one time going in. Almost fell. Stellar. )

The boys previously mentioned also put mulch in my front flowerbeds and only buried two baby plants. Not bad at all.

We failed to impress my mother with the blueprints, the counter sample, or the new lights. But I really must say the cheesecake was great.

It's not always easy to forgive someone. Just wanting to, doesn't make it happen.

Quotes

Some expected, some rather alarming.

"That's better" - one of the builders, exiting the bathroom.

"Is anyone itchy?" - one of the neighborhood boys hired to help clear brush behind the house.

"Did you win the lottery?" (Pretty much my mother's only comment, spoken in a tone of "why are you spending this money?")

Carly(via Blackberry)

Juniors

So while I was making the cheesecake I noticed that inside one of the Philly wrappers there was an ad to buy the Junior's Cheesecake recipe book.

As Carrie Bradshaw said to the Manolos: "hellooooo, lover".

It DOES have the carrotcake/cheesecake combo that I tried soooooo hard to eat all of. Now I can keep trying. So, yes, I have already ordered it.

Day 3

People showed up and did things at my house today! I did a little happy dance early this morning.

There was dumping of gravel and pumping of water because they couldn't be doing other things, like digging my foundation, and in their unexpected spare time they ripped off my front steps and built me new ones. (Don't get me wrong, that was on the to do list.) My son was about 6" from the construction of the porch all day. The guys were VERY nice about it. I'll be buying plenty of boxes of coffee from Dunkin'.

The new stairs are slightly lower than the old one (more like what it 'should' be in construction boy opinions) and so I trip. I trip when I walk out. I trip when I walk in. It's fascinating but I know that at least Grace is nodding her head in understanding.

I went back to look at granite again with my little cabinet door in hand. I wandered around and looked halfheartedly at a few and then noticed, hey, the one showing the sample sink is actually pretty nice, and the cabinets are about the same color as mine. You can look here at it, but Meopta has already approved it so we are good to go.

So, you may be happy to know I am not taking just any old thing for granite.

Things

in no particular order:

• Memorial day means the town parade. Which means nearly 30 fire fighting vehicles. All from our town. Our rather smallish town with a bunch of volunteer fire districts. Totally out of control.
• Granite update - maybe going today to get more samples, with my Designer friend
• Must make cheesecake for Mom today. A peace offering. I'm going to show her my muddy backyard tomorrow. She will be annoyed that she doesn't already know about it. Whatever, I'll be eating cheesecake. (Note to JV: your birthday is not until next week. This one is ALL MINE.)
• School concert last night. Ten year old boys outnumbered by the girls in the class 5-20; forced to stand on stage and do the macarena while singing "ItsyBitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". These boys are athletes. They play basketball and baseball together. The look of visible disgust each time it was time to do the chorus/dancing was PRICELESS. And yes, I do have it on video to show at 8th grade graduation parties.
• It is sunny so there will be digging today. I hope.
• Welcome home, Mike.

Day 2

It's raining. Unavoidably so.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day one

We don't have much to show for it, just an unfinished trench where the foundation will be.

My son's brain exploded when he saw the mounds of dirt. He wanted to jump from the deck to the middle of the "island" of dirt still remaining inside the trench outline. (Are they going to take that dirt out? Can I jump onto it? did they use machines ? )

Best observation: "I didn't know the ground went that deep."

Deeep.

And

...it's thundering. Construction workers are alll gonnnnnnnnnnne. :::whimper::::

FINALLY

There is a man out in back, sitting in a tractor. And another one with a shovel, in a moatlike trench that is quickly growing in size. (it looks like it's going to POUR now, dammit!)

(Meopta, I knew I could count on you. I don't like it so much, I was trying to convince myself that since the other one that I liked much more didn't match my cabinets, I would like this one. I'm going to go back and get about five more, very different, samples. They have dozens... )

Please don't take me for granite

I have access to a wonderful deal on a granite countertop. Do I like this sample? I'm not sure. Apparently it could have much more rust in the piece I get, or very little. I'm not limited to this or nothing.... I am just indecisive when there are too many choices.

Just for clarity's sake....the cabinets on the bottom are 20 years old. Then ten years ago we remodeled the kitchen and added top ones which matched, so now we have to match THOSE. Endless loop, anyone? At any rate the bottom cabinets are beat and will be replaced with pretty much the same darn thing. (New knobs for everybody!!!!!! There's an offer you don't get everyday!!!!)

Peanut gallery? I think I'm going back to look at other colors Friday. Friend Who Likes HG TV suggests something darker, with a little black (??)

I wondered where I left it

(Random geek news that I like for no particular reason, other than it gives me hope someday soon I'll find all my stufffff. And, well, I tend to like geeks. )

Some things are starting to fall into place. School things are starting to be finished off, one by one. At work, not so much. It might help if I weren't sick right now. Just a basic cold (really) but today I literally saw stars for a few minutes and I was queasy. Not resting well at all the last few days. Good thing I worked from home.

Bob (the Builder) called tonight and said he'll dig tomorrow. Now if I could just decide what color countertop to pick... why do I think picking carpeting and kitchen flooring is going to finish me off? Huge decisions, and me, with no idea what I want.

I am too tired to discuss the many finales and victors on tv except to say "Why did Flave not pick Black? She's so much more interesting." I'm thinking he just assumed she wouldn't stay interested in him, and he wanted someone who would put up with that sketchy little snicker of his for a long time.

Songs

My son used to listen to Delilah to fall asleep. He now has a freakish encyclopedia of 80's hits rattling round his brain.

Right now he's singing "do you really want to hurt me" which would work for multiple people bugging me today.

One noticable example would be the builder who. ISN'T digging in my yard right now.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Sunday Art

#1 this is fun, I saw it featured on Bent Objects .

#2 my friend won a mother's day contest and her makeover was in a magazine. You're beautiful!

PS: confidential to the paparazzi, uh, parents at today's First Communion ceremony... sit down. (There were so many up at the front of the aisle that the priest had to ask them to move so that the altar servers would be able to walk up there. Classy. ) You're really choking the religious solemnity right out of the moment with the incessant flash business. Also, do NOT come up to the choir loft to take pictures again, or I may just push you over. We're kind of busy.

Crabby patties

So last night we went to a seafood place I've probably been to 500 times in the last 20 years.

I ordered risotto with mushrooms (and stuff) and a plank grilled piece of salmon on top. It also comes loaded with deep fried shreds of sweet potato.

I stuck my fork into the big pile and took a bite...of crab cake.

There was a giant crab cake tucked in there too. Huh?

I had quite a conversation with myself then. This is good, it isn't mine. If I return it they'll toss it because I ate some; it's. ALMOST what I ordered, but I know there's an extra charge. But I didn't order it but I started to eat it by mistake.

My daughter had ordered a crab cake as her "meal" and I thought maybe the kitchen just plopped it on my plate. I'll just ask for her plate/garnish, if the waiter shows up.

While I was looking for our waiter, who still hadn't brought my daughter's or another one of the plates for our table, I noticed one of the other waitresses walk by, look at my plate and glare at me.

Mr C caught the glare and said "what's wrong?". She caught herself and said "nothing, I was looking at her salmon". Screw you honey, I didn't go into the kitchen and steal it. Don't glare at me. I really didn't notice until I ate some. Go glare at my waiter.

I had visions of a Hell's Kitchen scene going on back there complete with Gordon calling someone Idiot. Because now clearly TWO tables had not gotten their meals all at the same time. (I hate that! I'm always the one saying "no, eat while its hot, really". )

What a mess. I really do wish I'd noticed. It was damn good, at any rate. They didn't charge me.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Patty cake

The other day Suzy made pancakes. This is what she saw when she flipped one over. Kind of cool for a baby nurse, huh? I suppose if she was a forest ranger it would look like a Bigfoot paw print to her, but....

Bonbons not included

This is exactly what I would like. Except that I would prefer the option to purchase it for half the price. And please, get those effing UGLY pillows off it. Okay so I may end up with a plaaaaainer version double chaise from Targettttdotcom. But I do love this one.

I'm hoping the screen house will look a little bit cottage/ garden - ish without being too over the top. I'm already planning to grow some herbs; just a few on a plant stand/ bakers rack; basil, chives, oregano, dill and so on.

The Sirius antenna will be permanently attached on the roof somehow if I can finesse that(Bob the Builder will love that, I'm sure. Hey guys? Um, can you - oh, no, not there, over there. Um, yeah, no, nevermind)

Again, the cart way before the horse. But that's what I do.

Happy(?) Friday

Well I made it through another week. Another rollercoaster of tense school meetings and flurries of phone calls in and around.

Tonight I have to drop my kid off at a "thing" at 7 then I have the house to myself.

I need some peace.

I'm thinking a glass of wine or even just hot tea, and a mini marathon of either cooking shows or whatever episodes of the Office are still on my dvr. (Except last night's finale, which annoyed me on a couple of fronts. It's not ok with me to make fun of "slow" people, and I just hate the "no happy ending for you" finish ONCE AGAIN. So Grey's made me doubly discouraged.)

Carly(via Blackberry)

If I had more money honey

...would you love me, love me, love me like me?

Funny how that song started playing on Sirius right when the Client #9 stuff broke.

Today I will sign lots of papers saying that for the next several decades I will pay back large piles of money. Seriously: sign papers, people give you stacks. Is this country awesome or what?

HOPEFULLY on Monday I will have large construction vehicles tearing up my backyard. Or Tuesday, but wheeeeeee either way. There are spray paint marks all over the street in front of my house. (I have to go photograph those bad boys. For the scrapbook, you know. )

I opened up my lamp last night and was delighted to find it pretty, just the right dimensions for over my kitchen table, and most importantly, NOT BROKEN.

The funniest part is that right now my parents have no idea I'm going to be doing all of this. My hope is to have them over for a cookout on the 4th of July and blow their minds. Hee, hee.

That feeling

...you get, that it's going to be a lonnnnng uphill road?

This is how my beauuuutiful murray feiss boulevard 3 light chandelier arrived. Fuck you, Fed Ex. I'm not even willing to open it tonight. I hear clinking.

This week my longtime friend was finally back at work after being out on disability for weeks. But, she thinks she will be forced to retire in the whole offshoring thing going on now in our company.

I really want cheesecake NOW.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Lame duck

I am now a lame duck, as far as the PTA is concerned.

I can't say that I am sorry to walk away from all of the work, nor all of the bullying, squabbling, and needless drama going on. (And we are supposed to be the grownups and role models?)

I have trouble with people who have a role and define themself so much by that, they become completly difficult about someone else taking it over.

Time changes things. People move on. It is what it is.

I was never suited for the role of perky volunteer. I don't like working, frankly. Also, I don't tend to express myself with multiple exclaimation points. Maybe too many "....." But that's another story.


Speaking of another story, I read an email yesterday that Aggie died.

Some 25 years ago when I started college, I didn't go for the mandatory swim test OR take the freshman swimming class. Funny how being thrown in the deep end of a pool by some drunk morons in high school when you can't swim will make you shy away from water.
Over the course of my college years eventually a boyfriend helped me learn how to "sort of" swim.

My senior year of college Aggie started to hunt me down. My friends were endlessly amused by the thought that I wouldn't be able to walk onstage for graduation if I didn't take that damn test. (I graduated magna cum laude with a math / computer science degree)

Finally in early May she cornered me and said "Today.". Of course by THEN I could pass it.

Aggie was legendary for her school spirit, her long career at my college, and just in general her wonderful personality. NOT for being the woman I drove crazy by being a flake about a swim test.

Sorry, Aggie. R, e, dr, ed, dre, dred -RED!!
Carly(via Blackberry)

Alleluia

Yesterday was our last performance together at mass, now that it's "summer" according to the Stanley calendar (well, to be precise, yesterday was Pentecost, so we are done)

We sing a song for communion called "Alleluia", by Randall Thompson . A harsh critic would point out that we just sing "alleluia" over and over (about 60 times...)

To me, it's like standing in a rainstorm. The first few drops (notes) fall quietly, and then more and more join in as it builds. The notes rise and fall in some amazing harmonies and at the height of the storm we've got parts moving in every direction and you'd better be counting and paying attention to get it right.

Then just as it increased, it begins to settle down; the notes slow and return gradually to only a quiet "Amen".

I always hate it when choir is over for the summer.

(you can get a little snip of the song here if you use Real Player )

Sunday art

...by my new best friend at Lowe's.

I do have upper cabinets over the stove and a pantry to left of the fridge; they are not in this sketch and don't need to be replaced because we put those in 10 years ago when we did the FIRST addition.

So all we had to do was match the existing top cabinets, which probably saved 3,000 hours off of the "select cabinets" task. Too many choices for me!

anyway... happy mother's day to myself... we ordered these yesterday. The countertop will be much wider because the sink "wall" is open to the family room and we have barstools on the backside. Which is where a barstool usually is, badump bump.

Really?

My builder came by yesterday to get blueprints from me so he could go get a building permit. I did the "call before you dig" thing yesterday. Um, there are woods behind my house. And no, there will be no blasting, as far as I know!!!

He said that once he starts, it will be only 3 or 4 weeks. (So, that means 6-8, right? ) This would still come close to my current goal of having this all done by the 4th of July.

I have to go order cabinets and find a new kitchen light and think about countertops. The cabinets thing will be fine because I'm just matching the top cabinets which are only half as old. But the lights.... toooooo many choices. Now I'm worried that not having this stuff done because of the chaos at school will slowwwww the project down.

Waaaaaow

I thought I liked kids. I really did.

...until 50 of them said "why do we have to wait until after we run for a snack?"

Then I wasn't sure.

and when 100 kids came at me (after running said laps around the school track, for a fundraiser), and all saying they wanted "a granola bar AND a pretzel AND some orange pieces and can I have a bananna too but wait no not that kind of granola bar" at the same time and putting their little darling fingers all over everything

I thought

"hmmmm...

I am not crazy about kids."

and when they took drinks of water and dumped them over their heads, (note, it is 52 degrees out here today) I thought... hmmm.... aren't they nice.

No, wait, I said "WHY aren't they nice?"

note to self: elementary education may not be my best plan B career path after all

Rain dance

I took today off from work to help with a field day at school.

I was really hoping the universe would catch my hints, which I have verbalized all week, and it would be raining today, so that I could be on my couch right now starting a Sex & the City DVD marathon to refresh my memory before the movie comes out.

But, no.

Oddly enough

I'd say this is a sign my luck is turning.

I was minding my own business waiting for my son's baseball game to start. Some of the kids started pitching to each other. My daughter and I set up our chairs but she was RIGHT on top of me so I moved left a few feet. Then I started eating this salad I made with fake crab meat (I like it, most people don't), celery, a little tomato and some lowfat mayo. It was good too. Was.

I was eating and checking something on the blackberry and out of nowhere WHABAMMMMM, something exploded in my face with a sick thunk. I let out a not-so nice word that wasn't Mary OR Joseph.

All of a sudden several people were around me and things were reeeeeally quiet. A ball had come over the fence right at me. It took everyone a few seconds to figure out the ball had hit my tupperware container, not my face, and then bounced into my tote bag. I think it barely glanced off my cheek along the way, but not very hard. The thunk was NOT my face. And my dinner? All over the ground.

I believe the coach will have an (extra) beer tonight.

My daughter is happy to point out that if I hadn't moved, it never would have happened. I'm just happy not to be dining via straw.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Change

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

Alan Cohen


I came across this on another blog and I've been mulling it over in light of everything at work and school.

I'm still stewing, but it helps. I've started to do a few new things in my daily routine to mix it up a little where I can and it seems to help me cope.

This trellis is my spring challenge every year. Those little vines will bloom white and purple clematis. At least, that's the plan.

Sometimes I am busy and don't notice the first shoots appear. They snake along the ground and get tangled in the evergreens. Then it's almost too late to try to tie them and get them to look nice on the trellis. 'Salvage' isn't fun.

This year I thought I had it all set. Got the trellis in. Used cute string to tie everything and show it how I want it all to go.

Now the rabbits are eating it. There is an entire effing woods behind my house and the rabbits are eating THIS. It makes me just throw up my hands and say "Why?"

Sometimes you keep trying, but it's just not going to happen the way you want.

That's how I'm feeling about the house too. Like the work will NEVER start no matter what I do. Waaaaaiting is hard for me. Wondering if we can afford to do what I've envisioned sucks.


Carly(via Blackberry)

No, it wasn't "oops I did it again"

Tonight was confirmation at our church. The Bishop showed up (on time! which we can't say for every member of the choir....including one who pointedly told every one to get there at 5:15 and then walked in at 5:40... not naming names but that same someone forgot to turn off their cellphone. )

Kind of funny since we were in the middle of one of the first songs during the actual confirmation part of the mass, and the phone rang, and we botched a line in what I thought was a really noticeable way. In a "funny but not" sort of way. That horrifying, slow-mo way. Gah.

It was Lord, Listen To Your Children, by Ken Medema, arranged by Jack Schrader. We perform a few pieces that he has arranged; I like the gospel-but-not- too-gospel-for-a-"north"-church sound.

Today's announcements

(edit.... it's so hard to spell korrectly on a blackberry... and I needed to add a photo to this post)

1. Happy birthday, George Clooney. (47) I'd make a joke about birthday suits but I'm off my game this week.

2. Spammers suck. If I want to see "those", I have them. Kinda nice ones, actually. 100% real too. Moron. (Comments will be moderated for a brief while, as a result of this incident.)

3. Only 31 more days of school.

4. Yesterday the orthodontist referred to my younger child as a 'very challenging case'. I asked if he'd do the work for free on account of being grateful for gaining that learning experience. I wonder why he seemed mad after that. I kid, I kid.

5. Friday I will be volunteering at this school at an event that almost guarantees good stories. Stay tuned.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Targets

The beatings will commence until morale improves.

Today at 9 am sharp some of the people in my division were told that the applications they support are being outsourced / offshored. As in, programmers in India. Happy Monday.

Not me, not today. But, some of my friends. Some of my oldest, best friends.

But, "just because your application is going, doesn't mean you are going".... in other words there will be a giant game of musical chairs, and some of us will stay. No committments, no promises.

So at lunch I got to watch one of my coworkers tell another "you're marked now...." and then everyone debated about what will happen.

Nice. I wonder why my stomach ached all afternoon.

Sunday art

Today's artist is Miro Sinovcic . (Don't miss this page.)

He paints NYC, and they're the kind of paintings that you have to lean back and sort of squint at to really appreciate, but I definitely like them. I love the pallette of colors he uses. (And to be honest, this is kind of what the world looks like to me without my glasses....)

Warming trends

How to warm up, a la Carly:

1. Attend a Judo tournament with Suzy. Ask several people about the rules. Make friends. This will thaw you.
2. Judo tournaments are held in rooms that get very warm and start to smell like sweaty judo students, some of whom are not hard on the eyeballs. You will get warmer.
3. Cheer for your friend when he executes a perfect throw (drop, move, whatever, it was a great move!) Jumping up and down and cheering counts as your cardiovascular workout for the day.


Now can someone ACTUALLY explain the rules to me? Mmmokay thanks.

Gray sky

Oh spring, you fickle tease, where are you now that I'm sitting watching the ball games? My fingers are so cold, I can barely type. The robins have been replaced by one hawk, circling up in a sky the color of a thin layer of ash left behind after a cookout.

I have to sing tomorrow at church; I really hope I don't sound like I have a code in my node.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Ranger

1. My friend T and I were discussing Lost and have agreed that in the end if it turns out they've all been dead this whole time, T and I will punch each other in the face.

2. I was chatting with my friend K and it turns out we were both at the same REO Speedwagon concert about 23 years ago. The music is still good.

3. I had to write up a survey about our school lunch program; they're starting to come back to me from parents. Oh m geezy, as my kid says. You can feel the flames coming off of some of these bad boys.
4. I have a new puppy, the best kind - it doesn't pee on anything. It's stuffed. He just sits on my desk and makes me happy. I may send him on adventures around the world this summer (like Chico and Donkey if you remember the Where's my Pace Hat gig I did)

Carly(via Blackberry)

Left foot left foot left foot right

Yesterday I inadvertently told an old friend of mine in a rather offhanded way that a mutual acquaintance of ours had died.

I was standing there waiting for a really crappy sandwich to be "made to order" (they always get at least one thing wrong; yesterday she slapped this big gross pickle on my plate and I never, ever eat those things-- she always asks "Dill or sweet" and I say "no pickle" and she says "No pickle??" like I'm asking for dry coffee mixed into curdled milk. Dammit.)

Anyway. Back to me putting my foot in my mouth.

M walked up and said hello. I said hi and gee, I'm sorry to hear about your friend, your employee. (About a month ago one of her staff died very suddenly and I haven't seen her since then.) She said "Yes, HR told me it was a terrible week, there were four employees that died right around the same time."

So then I said "oh, I know, I was just talking to XYZ the day he died. It was so sad." Then I noticed the blink, the double take.

Crap.

Crap.